Not so great expectations: sex and housewives in Hong Kong.
The study explores the life of married women who are being described as having "good," "normal," "blessed" sexuality. The case of si-nais (housewives) in Hong Kong shows that we can never assume that married women (or any social category) are privileged by virtue of their status on the sexual hierarchy. The blessings of social respectability apparently enjoyed by these women may work to enable or hinder women's expression of their erotic desires and sexual fulfillment, depending on their special social circumstances. These women's imagination and experience of good sex is composed of a multitude of components. Women may feel good because they can achieve other psychological and social aims that are important in their lives (which could be related to the maintenance of marriage or the peace of the family). Women may feel good because of the erotic satisfaction that they derive from different pursuits including interests, leisure or other intimate relationships, rather than sexual fulfillment in terms of orgasm or physical pleasure. Women may reformulate their pleasure variously at different stages of their lives. Social respectability, orgasm, emotional intimacy, or any other specific element, may all enter or leave the formula for good sex.
Ying Ho
Petula Sik
PS
Social Work & Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. psyho@hkucc.hku.hk
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007989:Libido; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health